DVC 18 - The Blues

[Bill Thesken]

My little flick did not belong in this competition so rip it up!
I had planned an entirely different bookend to the ocean sequences, with real actors actually talking, but last minute obligations negated that. I’ll save that idea for a later date. The bookend I did use has some meaning, but in the end I just wanted to make something that was visually compelling to my eyes.
The good news is that I took some physical beatings for this little flick, nearly got run over a few times, held under, tumbled to the ocean’s bottom, risking life and limb etc. to ‘get the shot’. (It’s very important to go outside, get some fresh air, and play :)

[Lorinda Norton]

More later; for now I want to quote what you said in another thread, because I thought it was great commentary on your entry. Your video DID belong in this competition! :)

Originally Posted by Bill Thesken

Well I'm glad I at least put something together. It wasn't all that I had originally planned. Sunday morning I was going to admit defeat, I had to go on a long drive, and I didn't have time to get the finishing shots that I needed for my off the wall script. Then I thought, the heck with it, I have some good new footage that's going along the direction that I'm headed in filming, so I scrapped together something that I wanted to see.
A little selfish I'll admit, but that is what I read in the sign up thread. "The goal is to get experience doing something you want to be doing." I'm inching closer to making the kind of movie that I want to see, and my little entry is a step on the way.

[Lorinda Norton]

A few years ago I rented a couple of surfing films (pee yew!) just so I could check out the behind-the-scenes filming. Your footage reminded me of that. Very well done!

I'm still trying to figure out how you kept the camera stable when the tubes collapsed on you. Speaking of stable, on the turtle scenes camera movement did take my attention away just slightly (mainly because we're paying attention to detail here). Is the resistance of the camera underwater hard to manage or not that unlike a stiff tripod?

Loved your ever-so-slighty circling camera move in the opening shot, and I also could appreciate the great timing on the last one. How many takes for that? :)

[Bill Thesken]

The turtle scenes were lame on my part, too much surface wave and current action tossing me around. I need to get under the water with some scuba gear to stabilize those types of shots. I've tried a tripod but it gets tossed around also by the currents. I'm thinking of devising a sand bag type device that will sit on the bottom with the camera attached and won't move. The last shot was one take, the kid dove pretty deep on that.

[Dick Mays]

Bill,

I love your visuals in this one. The collapsing tubes took courage and you underwater footage was beautiful. You might be able to play with color correction a little to make those underwater shots really pop. Stiil, they were beautiful. Oh, and replace snorkel boy with a girl in a bikini and you can have a flick with 100,000+ views on youtube!

[Lorinda Norton]

Wow, I thought you WERE underwater in scuba gear for much of that. I'm even more impressed now! :)

[Cole Seidl]

I agree with the general consensus here. I thought you managed to capture a few really cool images here.
I liked seeing the turtles underwater juxtaposed with the surfing above the water.
The only gripe I have, is I felt I saw a little too much of the same thing. The water tunnel was really cool, I just felt that perhaps there were too many of them.
But I know you had difficulties with being unable to get all your footage, and you turned out a nice product in spite of this.

[Chris Swanberg]

Bill... you are courageous....and I trust are working where there is no coral! I assume you also shot this with your new $300 camera you used un the UWOL? The images overall are very impressive.

I think you have "underwater videography" to add to your resume. I enjoyed the images very much.

Thanks for your work in opening our eyes to the "other world"..

Chris Swanberg

[Chris Barcellos]

Hey Bill:

Again, another interesting piece. I love the feel of getting in there a fighting with mother nature to get your shot. Maybe a camera on shore recording what you are going through would have added to the in the wave thing. I would love to see some footage of what you have to do to get those shots, and of the gear you are using !